4 new MacOS 26 features Windows PC users have been enjoying for years

Apple just announced a list of new features for MacOS 26 “Tahoe” today at WWDC, and we’re seeing some compelling visual UI design, more cross-device compatibility, and a more open Apple Intelligence. But not all of the features are brand new; in fact, a handful of them have already been available in Windows (some, for many years). 

Also: Your Apple Watch is getting a major upgrade. Here are the best features in WatchOS 26

One thing Apple does well is deliver a clean, sleek UI, and the new “Liquid Glass” design theme looks undeniably good. But Windows geat Apple to these four features, even though they’re new to Mac. 

1. Window tiling 

One thing MacOS could learn from Windows is its window management. Apple introduced native enhancements to window snapping relatively recently, with MacOS Sequoia last year getting a comprehensive set of window arrangement options, and the iPad just now getting it in iPadOS 26. 

If you like to have Slack, for example, in a separate window tile next to your browser, you can do this in MacOS by clicking and dragging the window to a different part of the screen to snap it into position. There are a handful of other ways to do this, including simply assigning the position from the Window dropdown menu in the app itself. 

Also: What is Liquid Glass? Here’s everything we know about Apple’s major UI overhaul at WWDC

But Windows’ way of doing it is arguably better. Simply dragging a window to the top of the screen activates the grid preview, allowing you to choose from a variety of positions, and it’s been like this for many years now. 

2. The Game app  

Apple introduced Game Mode with the release of MacOS Sonoma in September of 2023, and today at WWDC, we got a new Games app for MacOS, iOS, and iPadOS 26. It’s sort of like a recharged Game Center, acting as a unified gaming hub and launcher across devices. 

The Games app has a dedicated tab for Apple Arcade, with a Library tab that shows all your games downloaded from the App Store. The “Play Together” tab shows what your friends are playing with combined scores, and it supports additional social features like messaging and invites. 

Also: 3 AI features coming to Copilot+ PCs that I wish were on my MacBook

But Windows 11 is still the reigning champion when it comes to gaming. Not only are the vast majority of games optimized for Windows, but so are most of the apps that gamers use on a daily basis like Discord and Steam. Apple’s new Game app will be competing directly with these platforms, which will be tough to do as they’ve accumulated years of dedicated users.

3. Live Translation

Apple announced some new real-time translation features for MacOS 26, including in the Messages app and live captions in FaceTime. These translations are powered by on-device models for added security, which is a great feature, but very similar functionality came out last year to Windows’ Copilot+ PCs.

Also: Apple Intelligence is getting more languages – and AI-powered translation

The Windows version allows for real-time translation into over 40 languages across all applications and video platforms, including Microsoft Teams, Zoom, Chrome, or Netflix, and works on device, so you can be completely offline. 

4. Customized folder icons

MacOS 26 comes with all kinds of visual customization options, including the ability to change the appearance of folder and file icons in Finder. If you’re sick of the blue folder icon that’s ever-present across your Mac, you can now make them pink, green, or add emojis to them (I’m bracing for the possibilities, here). 

Also: Your iPad will act more like a Mac now – here’s what that looks like

But this is nothing new to Windows. In fact, many of the customizable icon sprites you can set for folder or file icons in Windows are several decades old, going back to Windows 3.1. Even though this isn’t something a majority of users engage with on a daily basis, it’s still an integral part of Windows’ functionality. 

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